A mixed-study of the Relationship between Self-Efficacy and English Achievement of Iranian EFL high School Students with a Focus on the role of Academic Majors

The present study targeted at comparing the English self-efficacy level of Iranian EFL high school students majoring in mathematics, sciences, and humanities as well as examining the relationship between their self-efficacy and their English achievement. Analyzing the self-efficacy features and sources in each major was another aim of the research. The sample comprised 15 English teachers and 150 high school students from the three majors. The required data were collected via an English self-efficacy questionnaire, the participants’ scores on their final English achievement test, and the interviews conducted with the teachers and the students. The results indicated that the humanities were significantly different from the two other majors both in their self-efficacy beliefs and their English achievement. In addition, a significant relationship was found between the two variables only in math and humanities groups, but not in sciences one. Different sources and features of self-beliefs emerged as a result of the qualitative analyses of the interviews. The findings can be illuminating for teachers as well as curriculum designers, who can contribute to the development of positive self-beliefs in EFL learners by implementing helpful strategies and plans in designing the content of the course books and also in the methodology used in classes.